In the autumn of 1958, the U.S. exploded three rocket-launched nuclear bombs 300 miles above the South Atlantic. Purpose of the explosions, known as Project Argus, was to test the theory that charged particles released by the blasts would be trapped in the earth's magnetic field like the sun-borne particles of the Van Allen radiation belt (TIME, March 30, 1959). The experiment worked fine, but when the New York Times finally broke the story six months later, U.S. authorities were disturbed at the "breach of security" involved. And even after most details of Project Argus became public knowledge, the exact times...
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